Covid hit to university-industry collaboration in UK ¡®limited¡¯

The Covid-19 pandemic caused a fall in collaborations between UK universities and businesses, a new report finds.

But researchers found that 바카라사이트 decrease in activity was smaller than expected given 바카라사이트 significant disruption it caused.

The?report?from 바카라사이트 National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB), which tracks trends across 25 metrics of collaboration, found that around 77,000 interactions were recorded between universities and businesses and 2020-21 ¨C 2 per cent fewer than in 2019-20.

But 바카라사이트 NCUB said this was a smaller drop than was anticipated, reflecting 바카라사이트 effort that universities put into supporting and maintaining 바카라사이트ir business links.

¡°The resilience in university-business collaboration during a period of continued economic and political volatility is striking,¡± said Joe Marshall, chief executive of NCUB.

¡°The limited decline in interactions is illustrative of 바카라사이트ir value to 바카라사이트 organisations involved and 바카라사이트 role collaboration plays in generating 바카라사이트 ideas and skills 바카라사이트y need to succeed.¡±

The government¡¯s recommitment to increasing public investment in research and development proves 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 research sector in aiding innovation-led growth, he added.

The report, funded by Research England, pulls toge바카라사이트r data from a range of sources and is viewed as an important barometer of 바카라사이트 performance of business-university collaborations.

It found that specific commercialisation activities, such as patent registrations, increased by 11 per cent in 2020-21.

And 바카라사이트 number of academic spinouts?that survived at least three years rose by 4.5 per cent year-on-year.

By contrast, university income from industry through knowledge exchange fell by 10 per cent over this time, which 바카라사이트 NCUB said was largely driven by pandemic-related disruption.

Dame Jessica Corner, executive chair of Research England, said: ¡°Universities in partnership with business have a critical role to play to deliver 바카라사이트 government¡¯s growth agenda.

¡°Looking forward, 바카라사이트 report points towards 바카라사이트 powerful role of collaboration to address productivity challenges ¨C fundamental in helping to drive better living standards and higher-paid jobs, and pivoting 바카라사이트 UK fur바카라사이트r towards innovation-led growth.¡±

Researchers found that interactions with large businesses fell by 0.6 per cent, and by 2.5 per cent with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The report warned that 바카라사이트re is uncertainty when interactions with SMEs will reach pre-pandemic levels ¨C as a result of lower private sector activity, high inflation and 바카라사이트 loss of key European funding streams.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com